A Life Worth Living
by belasgrl
Summary: This takes place after Letting Go. Rated M for sexual content.
1. Chapter 1

Joey and Alessandro were completely moved in their apartment. They came in after their wedding reception, carrying their presents. After putting them away, Alessandro said, "Well, Mrs. Carruthers?"

"Yes, Mr. Carruthers?" Joey asked, smiling.

"Are you ready to consummate the marriage?"

"More than ready."

They went in the bedroom and took each other's clothes off. Joey looked embarrassed as her new husband looked at her completely naked body.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm shy, and look at me. I'm covered in scars."

"You're the most beautiful woman in the world," he said, and hugged her. They tenderly kissed on the lips, and it became a French kiss. Joey laid on the bed on her back, and Alessandro sat beside her. He kissed her lips and neck. He put his hands on her breasts and gently squeezed them, which made Joey moan, softly. She moaned louder when he started sucking on them. He then kissed her chest down to her vagina. Joey looked at him with longing, and Alessandro knew she wanted to be pleasured.

Alessandro began licking Joey's vagina. She clutched his hair and cried out as he shoved his tongue in and out of her opening. She became extremely wet, and he sat up.

"I want to suck on your dick," Joey said, and Alessandro laid down on his back. Joey kissed him and then immediately stroked and sucked on his penis. Alessandro moaned loudly.

Soon, they were ready to give themselves to each other. Joey once again lied on her back. Alessandro put a condom on and then towered over her. She spread her legs, and he gently slid inside her.

"Your cock feels so good," Joey moaned. She felt both pain and pleasure as he went inside her.

"So does your pussy," he said and carefully made the first thrust. Joey stroked his hair and back as he gradually went faster. He grunted with pleasure, trying to please her. It was working because Joey soon said, "I'm going to cum!"

"Me, too. Oh baby."

Joey's vagina tightened around Alessandro's penis as they both had orgasms. They breathed hard, and Alessandro pulled out and took the condom off. They kissed each other passionately, then they got up and took a long shower together. It was a night neither of them would ever forget.


	2. Chapter 2

Joey and Alessandro left for their honeymoon. They were going to Italy, Alessandro's motherland. They boarded the plane, and Alessandro slept most of the way there, while Joey stayed awake for a large portion of it.

When they finally arrived, they went to their hotel. Joey was so tired that she almost immediately fell asleep on the bed. Alessandro laid by her and stroked her hair. It soothed Joey and helped her sleep.

The next morning, the newlyweds went out for breakfast and did some sightseeing. They went to an art museum, and ended the day at a park.

At the park, Alessandro was unusually quiet and sullen. Joey noticed this and asked him, "What's wrong, baby?"

"I'd like to go to the place where I used to live."

"Okay. I don't mind."

"I feel like I need to make peace with what happened."

Joey knew what he was talking about. He was still hurting from when his biological parents basically discarded him four years ago. Although he loved his adopted parents and were grateful for everything they had done for him, there was an emptiness and pain inside him that was constantly there.

The following day, Alessandro and Joey went to the section of the city where Alessandro and his biological family had lived. Joey held on to his hand, nervously. She didn't want to be separated from her husband.

Finally, they stopped in front of a house. "Is this it?" Joey asked. Alessandro nodded and held his breath. He hesitated for a moment, then knocked on the door.

A man opened the door. Alessandro shook a little, but when Joey squeezed his hand to comfort him, he relaxed.

"Hello, Papa," Alessandro said, softly.

The man gave him a strange look. "Alessandro?"

"Yes, Papa, it's me. This is my wife, Josephine."

The man invited them in, and they came inside the house. There was a woman, two teenagers, and three small children there.

The woman looked at Alessandro, shocked. The teenagers and children turned their attention to Alessandro and Joey, and Joey suddenly became uncomfortable.

"Hello, Mama," Alessandro said.

The woman sat in silence.

"I know you are both surprised to see me, but I'm an adult, and I needed to see you both again."

"We never expected to see you again," the man said.

"I want to make peace with you both and what you did. I couldn't go the rest of my life wondering what I did wrong and wondering if there is any love left in your hearts for me. If you hate me so much still, then simply answer these two questions, and I will leave forever."

The man and woman told the other children to leave the room. They didn't seem to even know who Alessandro was, even though he was their own brother.

Alessandro and Joey sat down. The woman spoke. "We will answer your questions. You were a very strange child. No matter how hard we tried, you were always too different."

"I wasn't who you wanted me to be."

"No."

Joey couldn't believe what she was hearing. Alessandro's biological parents just told their own son that they didn't accept him. She started to say something, but stopped. She didn't want to make the tension worse.

"I haven't changed. I still don't like sports, and I'm going to art school very soon. I can't pretend to be someone I'm not, and I never could, not even for your sakes."

"At least you got married. When are you having children?" the man asked.

Joey's heart sank.

"Never," Alessandro replied. "We are choosing not to have children."

The man and woman looked shocked. "Not having children? Are one of you infertile?"

"No, we just don't want any," Alessandro replied, calmly.

"But you need to continue the family line! You need to have children."

"I don't care about continuing the family line. I no longer have your last name, anyway. We want to be happy, and having children would not make us happy."

The man and woman started criticizing both Alessandro and Joey. Alessandro stood up and took Joey by the hand. They quietly left. Before Alessandro left, he asked his biological parents, "Is there any love left in your hearts for me? Any at all?"

The man and woman said nothing. Alessandro took one last look at them, then he and Joey went out the door.


	3. Chapter 3

Alessandro and Joey didn't speak a word on the way back to the hotel. They were silent even when they got back to their room.

Joey could tell that Alessandro was in great pain, but she didn't know what to say. She wanted to reach out and comfort him, but she didn't know if that would make things better or worse. She didn't know how to help her husband.

Joey was the first one to speak. "I wish I knew what to say."

"You don't have to say anything," Alessandro replied, solemnly, sitting on the bed.

Joey looked down. She felt so helpless. There was only one thing she could think of to do.

The young woman went outside and called her father. She heard Mr. Peabody's voice at the other end of the line say, "Hello?"

"Daddy?" she said, almost crying.

"Josephine, what's wrong?" he asked, concerned.

Joey told him, crying, what had happened earlier. "I don't know how to help him, Daddy."

Mr. Peabody was quiet for a moment, then he spoke, softly. "I'm terribly sorry for what happened, Josephine. The best thing you can do for Alessandro is be there for him."

"How?"

"Support him. Let him know you love him and care about him. Don't pressure him to talk, and if he does decide to talk, listen. It will help him, immensely."

They talked for a little longer, then Joey said, "Thank you, Daddy. I'll do the best I can. I love you."

"Anytime, sweetie. I love you, too. Good bye."

Joey went back into the hotel room after hanging up with Mr. Peabody. Alessandro was laying on the bed under the covers. She sat down beside him and smoothed his dark hair. He turned over on his back and looked at her. Tears were in his sad, green eyes. Joey spoke, softly. "If it's any consolation, I'm here."

He nodded. "It does help a lot. At least I have a wife who loves me."

Joey smiled, which made Alessandro smile a little. Joey leaned down and kissed his lips, gently. Alessandro kissed her, passionately. He whispered in her ear, "Do you know what would really help me right now?"  
"What?"

Alessandro took her hand and put it on his crotch. She rubbed it, smiling. She felt the bulge under his pajama pants get harder. They took off their clothes and made love, and afterward, they bathed together.

When they laid back down, Joey rubbed Alessandro's back until he fell asleep. Joey hoped that she was and would continue to do the right thing for him. She wanted to be the best wife she could be.


	4. Chapter 4

The rest of their honeymoon went smoothly and was pure bliss, and Joey and Alessandro were both a little disappointed when it was time to go home.

The newlyweds started art school a few days after they returned home. Joey had trouble sleeping the night before. She tossed and turned and finally broke down and cried. Alessandro woke up and held her. "It will be alright," he told her. "I will be with you. You'll do great. You're very talented and wonderful. You'll be amazing."

Joey relaxed and tried to keep his words in mind as she fell asleep.

That morning, Joey was awoken by the alarm. Looking over, she saw that Alessandro was not laying beside her. She heard the shower running. She knocked on the door. "It's open," she heard her husband say.

Joey opened the bathroom door and moved the shower curtain. Alessandro was standing under the shower head, washing himself. "Good morning, beautiful," he said, smiling.

"Good morning. This is a great start to my day."

"Care to join me?"

"I'd love to," Joey replied. She took off her clothes and got into the shower with him. They washed and touched each other and kissed. The young couple made love and were able to clean themselves, easily, afterwards.

After they got out of the bathroom, Joey and Alessandro had a quick breakfast. When they were all ready to go, they left for art school.

Joey was overwhelmed by the new situation. There were so many people, and all the classrooms looked the same. She stayed close to Alessandro and held his hand as much as possible, but she also tried to be brave and pay attention to her surroundings. She felt like a blind person being led around. By the time, the day was over, she was exhausted.

As soon as Joey and Alessandro got home, Joey went straight to their bed and cried in a pillow. Alessandro laid next to her and rubbed her back. As soon as she was done, she lifted her head and said, "I'm sorry. I'm just overwhelmed and scared."

"Don't be sorry. It was a huge day for both of us." He held her hand. "We'll get through this as long as we stay together. Now, how about we get some Chinese takeout and rent a movie?"

"That sounds wonderful."

The young couple ordered food from a restaurant then brought home a movie. They spent most of the rest of the evening in each others' arms.


	5. Chapter 5

Joey and Alessandro both got used to their new routine. On weekdays, they would get up and get ready for school. They'd go to school, then come home, and the cycle would start all over again. On weekends, they would see their parents. Joey was content and happy with her new life…

…or she should have been. She thought she was, but inside, she felt deeply depressed. Lately, it was getting harder and harder to get out of bed in the morning, even though her beloved husband was usually laying beside her when she did. She had no desire to get out of their apartment to go to school even though she was studying things she enjoyed. She was beginning to not want to see or talk to anyone but Alessandro. She thought she was just having a mood swing, but when it lasted for more than a week, she knew it was something more serious.

And then, those thoughts appeared.

One night, she was in the bathroom, looking at herself in the mirror. She looked at herself longer than usual, noticing small details about herself. Mostly, she did not like what she saw. She was pretty, well, at least her blue eyes were, but there were so many things about her appearance that could be…different.

Her appearance wasn't the only thing that displeased her. Really, her personality wasn't stellar, either. There were so many things about herself that she didn't like and some things she even despised. Then, she wondered, "How can anyone even stand me?"

Joey left the bathroom. She was home alone, which was good because she loved having alone time. She sat on the couch and looked around. What had she done to deserve all this? She had a great husband and family, a nice place to live, and an opportunity to pursue a career doing the thing she loved. Why was she so lucky? What made her so special? There were other people who had it much, much worse than she did. Why was she not in a position like that?

She thought about what a mess she was. She was emotionally unstable and could barely handle life. She had proved that time and time again. What if she wasn't meant to be alive this long, and that she had just been forced to drag on? It was unfair. It was unfair to herself and those she loved that she had dragged them down with her. They would all be better off without her.

There was that old thought again, the one that had crossed her mind on and off since she was 12. The dream of ending it all and being at peace. The thought of shutting herself off permanently and stopping the poison that had and forever would be in her mind. It seemed so tempting at the moment to dance with death and cease existing. She almost daydreamed about the ways she would do it. She could stab or burn herself or take pills, and then…

And then Alessandro would find her. He would find her lifeless body. He would scream at her to wake up, and being unsuccessful, would call an ambulance, crying hysterically. The people would arrive and declare her dead, and her beloved husband would be overcome with despair, knowing that he had lost the woman he had vowed to spend the rest of his life with.

Her father would be overwhelmed with grief. He would mourn the loss of his little girl, the girl he had fostered and adopted. He would be devastated that he would never see her again. He would feel guilty that he hadn't saved her again, and the pain of losing his own daughter would never leave him.

Her best friend would cry, shocked that the only person who ever truly wanted to be her friend was gone. There would be no more chances of ever hanging out again, and all the good memories they had would be tainted by the horrible realization that one of the people in the memories was gone.

Joey would be gone. Her pain would end, but the pain of the ones she'd leave behind would begin and stay with them until their own time was through. Why would she want to put them through that? She meant something to them, and that was reason enough to keep going. Still, she couldn't seem to get rid of the raincloud that had been constantly hovering over her for weeks.

At that moment, Alessandro came in with a small bag of groceries. Before he could say anything, he saw Joey's expression. He set the bag on a counter and sat on the couch by his wife. "What's wrong, Joey?"

All she could do was look at him with teary eyes. Then, she broke down. He held her in his arms and let her cry. When she was done, she heaved a heavy sigh.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Alessandro asked, worried.

Joey nodded. "I…I've just been feeling really depressed lately, and I don't know why. I thought it would go away, but I just keep feeling worse and worse."

Alessandro held her close. "Maybe you're just overwhelmed. Maybe all the stress from life has built up."

Joey hadn't thought about that. "I have a great life, though. It's better than I ever dreamed it would be. I shouldn't be depressed."

"It's the way your brain works, honey. You need some down time. How about I give you a massage, and then I'll fix us something to eat, and we can watch a funny movie?"

Joey liked the sound of that, but something else sounded better. She kissed his neck and whispered in his ear, "I have a better idea."

Alessandro smiled and nodded in approval. He stood up and took Joey's hand and led her into the bedroom. As soon as he shut the door, he said, "Let me do the work tonight and pleasure you."

Joey smiled a little. Her husband walked to her and held her in his arms, giving her a squeeze before drawing her in a long, gentle kiss. They took each other's clothes off, and their kisses became more passionate. Alessandro laid Joey on the bed and rubbed her body, causing her to relax. He knew all the right places to touch to make her aroused. He kissed her neck while putting one finger in her vagina. Joey moaned, then cried out in pleasure as Alessandro nibbled on her ear. When she was completely wet, Alessandro put a condom on, then positioned himself and slowly slid in his penis in her vagina.

They took it slowly at first, thoroughly savoring each other's bodies, but that didn't last long before their extreme lust took over, and before long, Alessandro was fucking Joey, hard. Joey could feel something inside her build up, and she begged for more. Alessandro showed that he had no intention of stopping, and with one final thrust, Joey was sent over the edge. Hearing his wife scream with ecstasy made Alessandro easily come. They rode out their orgasms as long as they could, enjoying the feeling they had just given each other.

When it was over, Alessandro pulled out and took off the condom as Joey lay, breathless. She heard Alessandro laugh, and she looked over. "Wow, I must have been really horny," he said. They looked at the condom.

Joey giggled. "That is A LOT of cum."

"You're soaking wet," Alessandro said, looking proud that he was able to make his wife so aroused.

They both took a shower, then afterwards, Alessandro made dinner while Joey picked out a comedy for them to watch. She sighed, completely relaxed. She was starting to feel better. Hopefully, this was the beginning of her getting back to loving life again.


	6. Chapter 6

The day Joey was to have her tubal ligation finally came. She was extremely excited, but she was also tired since she had to get up early. Alessandro took her to the hospital, where they listened to the doctor tell them how the procedure would go. Joey dressed in a hospital gown, and she was taken into another room, where she was given anesthetics.

When Joey woke up, the doctor told her that the surgery had been successful. She was able to go home that day and was told not to do anything strenuous, which was fine with her since she was really sore. Alessandro took her home, and she slept the rest of the day.

Recovery took only a week. During that time, Mr. Peabody would stay while Alessandro was gone. Both her father and her husband took very good care of her while her body was healing.

One Saturday after Joey was well enough to leave her home, Mr. Peabody took her out to lunch for a father-daughter outing. As they ate, the canine asked, "How are feeling, Josephine?"

Joey smiled. "I feel amazing! I am so happy that I don't have to worry about getting pregnant at all. My mind is at ease."

Mr. Peabody smiled. "I am so glad to hear that. All I want is your happiness."

"I am happy, Daddy. I have a great husband, a wonderful father, a nice home, and I'm going to school to have the career of my dreams. I couldn't ask for anything more."

"I am proud of you, Josephine. You have come so far, and your life has gotten better. You deserve all the success and joy you have received and will continue to receive."

"Thank you, Daddy," Joey said, and they hugged.

Later, Mr. Peabody took Joey home. She found that Alessandro, his parents, and Christy were waiting for her. Christy went to Joey and hugged her. Joey saw that there was a homemade cake on the table. "What's going on?" Joey asked.

Alessandro kissed her. "We wanted to celebrate you getting well from your surgery."

Joey smiled. "You guys didn't have to do this."

Alessandro's mother said, "We know the surgery was important to you, and we all wanted to show you our support."

Alessandro served the cake, and everyone complimented Mr. Peabody, for he was the one who made it. Various conversations were made. Christy talked about law school and her new boyfriend that she had met there. Alessandro's parents talked about their hobbies and careers, and Mr. Peabody talked about an invention he was currently working on.

Joey sat back and took in the whole scene. She was so thankful that she had people who loved and supported her. The pain of her childhood lessened with each new memory that was made with someone who mattered to her. Life would never be perfect, but she cherished moments like this and would try to keep them in mind any time she questioned if life was worth living. She had her answer in front of her.

It was.


End file.
